Food Trucks in Austin, TX
March 17, 2017 6:52 AM Subscribe
I will be in Austin, TX next week for a convention. I'll be at the convention center. Where should I go to find food trucks? And are there particular trucks I should look for? Bonus question: Any restaurants I should not miss in Austin?
It's been so long since I've been to Austin that I can't say what's good now, but you should have a Turbo from Jo's (it's an iced coffee/rocket fuel and great), and Tex-Mex at Matt's El Rancho because it's a classic place, not because it's great.
posted by old_growler at 3:15 PM on March 17, 2017
posted by old_growler at 3:15 PM on March 17, 2017
Not a food truck, but Ramen Tatsu-ya.
posted by perplexion at 3:54 PM on March 17, 2017
posted by perplexion at 3:54 PM on March 17, 2017
There's lots of good eating, but I'll take you seriously on the truck thing.
Via 313 has a trailer in the back of Craft Pride on Rainey Street, which is very close to the convention center. My pick for best pizza in Austin, it's basically deep-dish cheese bread with sauce poured on top. The rest of Rainey is...well, I'm not a fan, but it's one of the only places there's even a hint of the "old parking lot with lots of food trucks in it" which a lot of people seem to be looking for when they ask me about food trucks here. Art of Tacos is there, there WAS a Tapas Bravas last time I checked, but the durn things move!
A lot of the better trucks and/or trucks who can afford space downtown are basically chains now, which ups your chances of being close to a good one. Names of things that are good that you might see just wandering around: Arlo's (THE BEST vegan bacon cheeseburger, hands down - there's one near the bar called Cheer Up Charlies on Red River), Gordough's (doughnuts, also have a brick and mortar bar on 5th, if you go to Voodoo instead we can't be friends), Chi'lantro (KIMCHI FRIES!), East Side King (BRUSSEL SPROUTS!). Llama's Peruvian Creole is great and they break my rule of "if it's sold on a trailer directly off 6th Street it's probably crap." Your Mom's (Thai) is only open for lunch on weekdays up by the capitol, but it's really good stuff. The happy hour at Parkside on 6th is amazing, if you find yourself free at that hour. 24 Diner is probably my favorite restaurant downtown, I've never had a bad meal there.
You are going to want breakfast. Do yourself a favor, get up a little early and bike share over to the Driskell hotel. Get a cinnamon roll. Enjoy.
posted by theweasel at 8:52 PM on March 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Via 313 has a trailer in the back of Craft Pride on Rainey Street, which is very close to the convention center. My pick for best pizza in Austin, it's basically deep-dish cheese bread with sauce poured on top. The rest of Rainey is...well, I'm not a fan, but it's one of the only places there's even a hint of the "old parking lot with lots of food trucks in it" which a lot of people seem to be looking for when they ask me about food trucks here. Art of Tacos is there, there WAS a Tapas Bravas last time I checked, but the durn things move!
A lot of the better trucks and/or trucks who can afford space downtown are basically chains now, which ups your chances of being close to a good one. Names of things that are good that you might see just wandering around: Arlo's (THE BEST vegan bacon cheeseburger, hands down - there's one near the bar called Cheer Up Charlies on Red River), Gordough's (doughnuts, also have a brick and mortar bar on 5th, if you go to Voodoo instead we can't be friends), Chi'lantro (KIMCHI FRIES!), East Side King (BRUSSEL SPROUTS!). Llama's Peruvian Creole is great and they break my rule of "if it's sold on a trailer directly off 6th Street it's probably crap." Your Mom's (Thai) is only open for lunch on weekdays up by the capitol, but it's really good stuff. The happy hour at Parkside on 6th is amazing, if you find yourself free at that hour. 24 Diner is probably my favorite restaurant downtown, I've never had a bad meal there.
You are going to want breakfast. Do yourself a favor, get up a little early and bike share over to the Driskell hotel. Get a cinnamon roll. Enjoy.
posted by theweasel at 8:52 PM on March 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Not (necessarily) trucks, but ever tasty:
Torchy's Tacos. Get Nookies for dessert.
Papalote -- also tacos, more traditional.
Chi'lantro.
Seconding Ramen Tatsu-ya.
P.Terry's for burgers.
Rainey Street: treat as though you were going trick-or-treating. I don't remember where, but I encountered some damn tasty brats there once.
I require that you eat breakfast tacos for breakfast. The places I know are all in the suburbs, but the internet can give you names closer to the convention center.
(Of course, you must also eat barbecue if you haven't had Southern barbecue before. But that's a whole other thing...)
posted by miniraptor at 9:52 PM on March 19, 2017
Torchy's Tacos. Get Nookies for dessert.
Papalote -- also tacos, more traditional.
Chi'lantro.
Seconding Ramen Tatsu-ya.
P.Terry's for burgers.
Rainey Street: treat as though you were going trick-or-treating. I don't remember where, but I encountered some damn tasty brats there once.
I require that you eat breakfast tacos for breakfast. The places I know are all in the suburbs, but the internet can give you names closer to the convention center.
(Of course, you must also eat barbecue if you haven't had Southern barbecue before. But that's a whole other thing...)
posted by miniraptor at 9:52 PM on March 19, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
Restaurants on my list: Dai Due, Jacoby's, Komé.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:50 AM on March 17, 2017